Mike Farris – Grammy winner, musical renaissance man, former front man for the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies and the man who stepped up to lead the incomparable blues band Double Trouble following the demise of blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughn – is bringing his backing band, the Roseland Rhythm Revue, to Lufkin’s Pines Theater Thursday, August 13, for a special one-night-only performance.
Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue are currently on tour, performing their trademark gospel-blues-soul fusion across Canada. Lufkin will be their first stop when they begin the U.S. leg of their North American tour.
Farris kicked off the year with a bang as the first musician to win a Grammy for “Best Roots Gospel Album,” a new category that recognizes the growing interest and support of these genres. He has also received the 2008 Americana Music Award for new and emerging artist and the 2010 GMA Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Album of the Year.
Farris began his musical career as founder and lead singer of the Nashville, Tennessee-based southern rock group The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies, and has also performed as front man for the late Stevie Ray Vaughan’s backing band, Double Trouble. In his solo career he began to reinterpret traditional black spiritual music, adding his own mix of vintage Southern soul. His backing band, the Roseland Rhythm Revue, add touches of Motown, Memphis and Muscle Shoals to create a sound that is as unique as it is distinctly American.
“Mike Farris is an incredible vocalist, and he can do American music like nobody else,” said Tara Watson-Watkins, executive director of the Lufkin Convention and Visitors Bureau and artistic director for The Pines. “He’s been on a roll, with his last album winning a Grammy, but his live show is where he really shines. If you love American music, you have to see him perform live.”
Farris’ performance begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35 for floor seats and $30 for balcony seats. Seating is limited, so call 936-633-0349 today to purchase tickets or go to www.visitlufkin.com.
The Pines Theater’s 2015 season continues with legendary doo-wop quartet The Diamonds on September 14 and The Unexpected Boys, an award-winning tribute to Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, on October 14.
